Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Texting Linked to Fatal Medical Helicopter Crash

The result of an investigation by the
National Transportation Safety Board confirms that California plane crash lawyers can expect to see greater
involvement of cell phones and texting devices in aviation incidents in the
future.The Board has officially
confirmed that a fatal medical helicopter crash that occurred in 2011 was at
least partly the result of the pilot’s frequent texting during the flight.

The helicopter crashed in Missouri in 2011,
and killed the pilot, a paramedic, a flight nurse, as well as the patient who was
being transported in the medical helicopter.According to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation,
the pilot was texting on his phone during the flight.This is believed to be the very first time that texting is
being cited as a contributing cause of a fatal commercial aviation incident.

California plane crashlawyers don't believe that that this
will be the last time that we see cell phone use by pilots as factors in plane
crashes.According to
investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot received
at least 4 text messages during the flight.He also sent at least 3 text messages to 2 different cell
phones.

The National Transportation Safety Board cites
the pilot's texting as only a contributing factor in the crash, and says that
the fact that the helicopter took off without enough fuel to complete the
journey, was the main cause of the crash.However, the Board has also admitted that that there were at least 240
text messages that the pilot sent and received during his shift, and has
concluded that texting distracted the pilot, thereby contributing to the crash.The distraction possibly caused him not
to notice that the fuel levels were low before he took off.